Fear of the new grad

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

I am a new nurse. I have been working as RN in LTC for 5 months. I try to do my best but I still have fear that I may miss something in pt's assessment or documentation. When I go home after work I still can't help but think over and over about the tasks I completed during my shift. I am just tired of being stressed about it. Is it normal? I got hired by acute care setting and afraid that I am going to check and triple check everything I do. I do NOT have OCD. Any advice?

Thanks.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

I think every nurse that goes home goes through the day in her head, hoping they haven't missed something. I still do it and it's been a lot of years since I have been a new grad. However, I for me, I realize I did the best I could and have learned to not be so OCD about it.

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Specializes in Cardiac, PCU, Surg/Onc, LTC, Peds.

I found acute care easier in the fact that I only am responsible for 4 pts not 40. It's a different kind of busy but I think that it helps me feel like I've actually made a difference when I can sit down at the bedside and talk with my pts.

When I 1st started I always checked off finshed tasks on my 'brain' and than didn't have to keep questioning if I missed certain things. After awhile it was just second nature to automatically chart assesment stuff 1st thing than I could concentrate on meds, education for discharge, sending pts off unit for procedures, etc.

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